Yikes. Playing against a Pac-12 doormat, UCLA came out with all the electricity of a candelabra.

But that's being negative and, honestly, being negative around this team isn't an easy thing to do. It also isn't a terribly accurate stance to take.

“I always feel like I want to get a running game going,” said offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, blaming the offense's yawning start on his own stubbornness. “Finally, I said, ‘(Forget) it, man. Let's just sling it down the field.'
”

Yes, the Bruins were supposed to fix everything Saturday against an inferior opponent. Near end of the first quarter, however, instead of getting healthy they were getting heckled.

When Jordon James was stopped for a 1-yard loss on first down to start UCLA's third possession, the Rose Bowl crowd, aware the Bruins still hadn't picked up a first down, began booing.

This wasn't a classic reception, particularly after being on the road for two games and with this being homecoming and with the opponent being Colorado and its notorious break-but-don't-bend defense.

Then, on the next play, Devin Fuller ran behind the Buffaloes secondary, Brett Hundley dropped the ball into his arms and UCLA had a touchdown that covered three-quarters of the field, after netting only 16 yards before that snap.

“After the first two series,” Mazzone said, “I was looking for my Uber app on my phone to see if I could get an SUV to come pick me up.”

And here's hoping everyone realizes that very few college coaches ever say anything even remotely this honest or interesting.

Not in football, at least, where everything's serious and secretive all week, practices closed and injuries concealed, until they play the national anthem and everybody comes out and runs the same six plays anyway.

The Bruins weren't their most persuasive in beating Colorado, 45-23, but being unconvincing shouldn't be mistaken for being unproductive. As uninspired as UCLA was for much of this game, imagine how deflating a defeat would have been.

The same performance won't be good enough to guarantee victory in any of the Bruins' remaining four regular-season games. But they weren't playing Arizona, Washington, Arizona State or USC on Saturday.

“I walk in here expecting questions about ‘Why didn't this happen?' or ‘Why did we start so slow?' or ‘What's wrong?'
” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “I gotta tell you, that's a good thing. It tells me that people expect a lot of us. We have to manage those expectations.”

Perhaps that sounds like baloney to you but it did sound pretty sincere Saturday night, and what's wrong with a coach — a
college coach, remember — trying to spin a night that could have been discouraging into something more heartening?

The Bruins were coming off consecutive road losses — at Stanford and Oregon — that ended the national title talk around the team and Heisman hype around Hundley. The defeats, however, didn't quiet Mora or dull his shiny outlook. During the week, he actually claimed, “It's really good for our program to go through these things.”

He was only being a coach, of course, and, after losing by a combined score of 66-24, what's any coach going to do but invent the positive where there otherwise is none?

The Bruins were in need of some serious hangover helper, so bring on Colorado, a team that had lost 12 straight against ranked opponents and each of its past 12 conference games.

The Buffaloes don't have the talent right now to match up with the Bruins, a point underlined by the fact their kickoff return man is a
linebacker. Yet, as the halfway point of the second quarter approached, Colorado led, 10-7.

“It's going to take some time,” Mora said. “Some drives and starts of games are not beautiful. … We didn't have the enthusiasm earlier that we typically have.”

No, Colorado hasn't won much this season and that includes before the games even begin. Saturday marked the first time the Buffaloes have come out on top in the
coin toss, ending an 0-7 start in a prospect that's supposed to be 50/50.

Yet, after two quarters, UCLA's lead was only 21-13.

“I told them at halftime that I didn't think we were enjoying the game enough,” Mora explained. “They have to remember how lucky they are to play in front of 80,000 people at the Rose Bowl.”

Lucky, fortunate just to have the chance. That's how the Bruins should have felt Saturday. Lucky, after a game most people would have described as yucky.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.